A History of Indian Literature v1.c8.s8.84

v1.c8.s8.84

There are, it is true, a few *fundamental doctrines*, which lend an appearance of uniformity to the philosophical thoughts which stand out in the genuine Upaniṣads, and it is only of these that we wish to speak here: with respect to these fundamental doctrines alone is it possible to speak (as Deussen does)—though always with reserve—of a "system of the Upaniṣads." We must therefore not seek deep wisdom in every chapter of the Upaniṣads, or expect a Platonic dialogue in every Upaniṣad. It is indeed remarkable enough that in the very oldest and most beautiful portions of the Upaniṣads we find the same form of *dialogue* as in the works of the great Greek philosopher.¹ And just as Plato's dialogues reveal to us a wonderfully life-like picture of the life and doings of the Ancient Greeks, so the dialogues of the older Upaniṣads frequently afford us a surprising insight into life at the ancient Indian princely courts, where priests and famous wandering teachers, including learned women, flocked together, in order to hold their disputations before the king, who not infrequently entered into the theological and philosophical conversations and confounded the learned Brahmans by his knowledge; as well as insight into the school-life of those ancient times, when travelling scholars undertook long journeys in order to "hear" some famous teacher, to whom pupils came from all sides "as waters precipitate themselves into the abyss and months sink into the year."¹) But besides sections of deep philosophical content, and portions which very well bear comparison with Plato's dialogues, we also find in the Upaniṣads much that is inferior as philosophy or literature.